In contrast to last year, this one has seemed never ending. At times I’ve been wrapped up in absolute chaos and fearing that there’s too much thinking and not enough doing going on, but on reflection I couldn’t have wished for a better year.
I’m astounded when I realise that I’ve spent atleast 5 days with, literally, my feet off the ground. I not only reached Europe earlier on this year as planned, I moved here halfway through the year! I flew and roadtripped across America. I spent several weeks in Tokyo. I finally walked on home ground again and tried to understand the 10 or 15 years that had slipped past without seeing my relatives.
On January 1st it will be exactly 6 months since I flew out of Sydney. Were it not for the kindness of strangers, I’m sure I’d have fled London long ago. Everything from finding a place to live through to finding a job. It’s been far from easy, and I can’t say I’ve been certain of the light at the end of the tunnel at all times, but usually the oddest things have occurred at the most desperate times and surprised me.
A few days before Christmas I decided to try to do some present shopping around Oxford Street. Amazingly it wasn’t as crowded as I’d expected but with thoughts of home and what not running about my head, and the moodiness of the people that were about, I wasn’t feeling in the spirit of the season.
Halfway through the day I walked past a coffee shop but doubled back deciding it was a good opportunity to rest my feet. While waiting for my sandwich to be toasted, I got chatting to a man sitting close by. One coffee turned in to two and we talked about anything. As silly as it is, I left that coffee shop with a smile and the rest of my Christmas shopping was a breeze with the wonder that anyone, on such a chaotic day, would take the time to sit and chat to a stranger.
Then yesterday morning, I glanced out the window and had to take a second look when I realised the street, cars, rooftops and parked bicycles were covered in snow. I felt like a child, not knowing which way to turn I hurriedly put my clothes on and ran outside to see if it was real. I walked all over the neighbourhood looking at everything with a smile on my face, and I could barely go to sleep last night as my eyes wouldn’t shut fearing I’d miss it if it snowed again over night.
I love the unexpected : unexpected is what this year has been.